Local elementary school principal charged with murder in fatal DUI crash [updated]

Mary Kruppe [Image via: Cafe Con Leche Radio]LANCASTER – A principal at an elementary school in Lancaster was charged Monday with one count of murder in connection with a fatal DUI-related crash in the Palmdale area.

Enterprise Elementary School Principal Mary Noel Kruppe, 35, of Pearblossom is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, Nov. 20, in Department A01 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Antelope Valley Branch, according to a news release by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

On the night of Nov. 15, Kruppe was driving southbound on 50th Street East, north of Avenue P, when she is accused of veering left into oncoming traffic, said Deputy District Attorney Sam Abourched. This allegedly caused a head-on collision with a vehicle being driven in the opposite direction by Jessica Ordaz, 29, of Lancaster, who died of her injuries, the prosecutor added.

Kruppe faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged.

Prosecutors are requesting bail be set at $2 million.

The case remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Lancaster Station.

UPDATE: Arraignment for Mary Noel Kruppe was postponed to Dec. 19 in Dept. A1 of the Antelope Valley Courthouse. Kruppe was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $2 million bail while awaiting arraignment.

UPDATED 12-19-18: Arraignment for Mary Noel Kruppe was postponed again, this time until Jan. 30, 2019.

Jessica Ordaz [Image via gofundme]Editor’s Note/Update: A previous version of this story had a different image of Mary Kruppe, sent to us by a reader. We replaced that image because we could not confirm if it was actually Mary Kruppe. The image that now appears has been confirmed to be Mary Kruppe.